The automotive aftermarket is rife with products designed to make our vehicles work better. An additional benefit is that many of those products also help the appearance of our rides since they are treated with polishing, anodizing, and various paints and coatings that make them stand out and last longer too! The only requirement is choosing the proper coating for your application. We spoke with Larry Ashley of Eddie Motorsports to get some ways to choose the best coating for any application. Eddie Motorsports combines with sister companies, Eddie Machine and Eddie Marine, to be a major producer of billet aluminum products for boats, cars, motorcycles, and aircraft.
Eddie Motorsports offers several coatings in a variety of colors and finishes so there should be no problem finding the perfect color and sheen for your application.
As you can imagine, each area has its requirements for a long-lasting product and Eddie Motorsports offers several different coating options when choosing the proper coating specific to the automotive realm. We asked Larry about the pros and cons of each coating Eddie Motorsports offers and how to choose the right coating for your application.
High-Quality Coating Options
When ordering products from Eddie Motorsports, you’ll find a variety of coating options to choose from, each one having a specific purpose or appearance. Besides offering its products in a raw, machined finish, Eddie Motorsports also offers a variety of coatings including powder coat, Fusioncoat, Cerakote, and anodizing.
Powder Coating/Fusioncoat
Most enthusiasts are familiar with powder coating, the process in which a dry, free-flowing powder is electrostatically applied to a part, which is then baked in an oven to produce a hardened, durable coating. Powder coating is available in a glossy finish, as well as semi-gloss, matte, and flat. When choosing the proper coating for your application, Eddie Motorsports offers its own brand of powder coating known as Fusioncoat.
Powder coating is available in many colors and finishes. The powder is first applied to the product
Fusioncoat works best in protecting high-wear parts that get a lot of human contact, such as handles, window cranks, door sills, etc. Also, parts exposed to extended UV rays, or parts that will be required to take more abuse than liquid paint could handle, such as frames or suspension components. Wheels are great uses for powder coating/Fusioncoat.
The powder-coated parts are put into an oven at between 325 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit to produce a hardened, durable even coating.
This procedure is one of the most affordable coatings, thanks to its single-stage process being applied right after machining. Being oven-cured gives this coating a quick drying time. Once fully cured, the coated part will have much better resistance to impact, scratches, and corrosion.
After sufficient curing, the parts are removed from the oven and allowed to cool, wearing their new, colorful coating.
Powder coating is more environmentally friendly than other coating processes and provides a thick, durable finish. This coating is a favorite because it provides excellent durability in a wide variety of colors. In most applications, the coating will outlast the surfaces to which it is applied. The thickness of powder coating does raise some issues since it adds thickness to each part it is applied. It can also leave an “orange peel” texture if not done properly. Due to the heat needed to cure the coating, it is not a good coating for plastic or wood products.
Cerakote
First used in the firearm industry due to its durable finish, Cerakote has now found a foothold in the automotive industry. Cerakote is a ceramic-based coating that can be applied to substrates such as wood, polymers, and plastic parts, and is available in a wide variety of colors. It is best suited for parts that see daily usage or have moving parts with tight tolerances. It can also be used as a thermal-barrier-coating to control heat.
Unlike powder coating, Cerakote can be applied at a thickness of 1 mil (one-thousandth of an inch). This makes it an excellent coating for tight tolerance and moving parts. Once cured, it has a high heat resistance of up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and provides excellent abrasion, corrosion, and chemical resistance to the part to which it is applied.
Typically reserved as a higher-end coating, Cerakote is the most expensive coating process, due to the multiple steps needed to prepare the part before spraying on the product. It is also a permanent application. Once it is applied, it cannot be removed.
Anodizing
Consider anodizing as the mid-level coating, with limited protective properties. It is not the most environmentally safe, and is useful for only certain metal objects, due to the process by which it is applied. First developed in the 1920s, anodizing is a metal-coloring process where the product is submerged in a colored, positively charged acid electrolytic solution. A negative cathode is attached to the part, creating a build-up of aluminum oxide, which affects the outside surface layer of the part being treated. This allows the dyes to infiltrate the surface of the metal, which then gives it the desired color.
Anodizing provides a thick protective coating that becomes part of the metal, so it cannot be scratched or peeled off. It is best suited for moving parts or parts that see minimal abuse, such as interior parts or decorative bezels.
Due to the highly porous surface of the part being treated through this process, there can be color inconsistencies. The process also creates a brittle and porous oxide layer that can discolor if the metal is gouged through the anodizing.
Add More Than Just Color To Your Ride
When choosing the proper coating for your application, there is more than just the color and the amount of shine to consider. The proper coating will also add durability and style to your ride, so it will look great for years.
Thankfully, because of the varied markets supplied by Eddie Motorsports and its sibling companies, the customer has a broad scope of finishes from which to choose. Check out Eddie Motorsports’ website and see not only the great products they offer but also the scope of high-quality finishes you can choose from for your application.
